chucknga

I've read through this thread with great interest mainly because I admire both the GT and the upcoming Z06. But I like them for different reasons than just because one is a Ford and one is a Chevrolet. The GT is just a beautiful car, plain and simple, even if it is a rehash of a previous design. The First GT40 was amazing for it's time both in looks and performance which I doubt many who appreciate car design would argue. I think every one missed the boat on why Ford brought this car back and produced it, to celebrate Fords 100th anniversary. Only after developing the car and seeing the overwhelming interest after showing it, did they decide to build the car again. I don't believe it was Fords intention to build a Corvette killer.
Certainly if it is, the envelope of this car could be taken to another level if it was only about the ultimate performance, the 5.4 DOHC engine has plenty of potential power left in it (pullies, cams, and other tweaks I'm sure), and alot of weight loss measures (carbon fiber, and aluminum) could be taken to further enhance the cars handling and performance abilities. But I think they wanted to build a car that would perform on par with the worlds fastest production cars, still be civilized enough for daily use, and yet celebrate the companies centennial with one of it's greatest design and racing achievements in the last 100 years recreated for the new century.
All of the reviews I have read have been very positive concerning handling and performance. It tops out at a electronically limited 205 mph, but will do 212 mph without that limitation. I recently saw an article in one of the Ford magazines where they took a pullied GT into the 10's on street tires, but didn't do much better on drag radials because the shorter tires affected the gearing. So I think in no uncertain terms Ford has built a winner here with potential for more if tweaked.
But I think the greatest part of the GT's appeal is that it's not a takeoff from a lesser production car. It's a one off car that is sought after because of it's exclusivity. Everyone knows it costs more to build a handful of cars that use their own chassis, body and drivetrain. Look at a Ferrari, if it was built in quantities and extended lifecycle of the Corvette it would be much more economical to build and would be priced accordingly. The company can spread the development costs over a 100,000 cars instead of 3,000 or less. You pay for the development and production overhead costs when you buy a exclusive car built in small numbers.
The Z06 is a Corvette...albiet an extremly nice one. I love Corvettes! but look at the numbers, Chevrolet builds quite a few Corvettes with each design cycle therefore most of the basic design costs are absorbed by the high volume standard Corvettes. The extra $25K the Z06 costs is more inline with increased content rather than developing a car from the ground up. So when driving the Corvette you will get appreciation from people who know what a Z06 is, and those who don't will think, oh there's a nice Corvette. But if you show up in a Ford GT.. it's a different story! Let me insert a car reviewers quote here: Anita Lienert from The Detroit News. After her drive in a GT, she wrote: "One man who drove the GT with us this weekend only half-facetiously begged his wife to sell their house and buy the car. Other men seemed awestruck by it. Nearly every male who saw the GT stopped and turned reverentially, as if something important were passing by. Something was."
You think a modified Corvette will get that kind of universal appeal and admiration? No, because it's not that exclusive. Drive by any Chevrolet dealer and there is one or more on display that look essentially the same as a Z06 It will be a great car, a superb performer...But exclusive? Nope!
Someone made a big deal out of the Ford GT having had a recall...Do you think GM can build cars without recalls? Uh, no. My roomate is a Chevrolet technician, my best friend is a service manager at a GM dealership, and another close friend is a technician at a Chevrolet dealership as well where he specializes in C4,5 and C6 Corvettes. I can confirm to you that the C5, and C6 corvettes have not been without there share of recalls and service difficulties , not to mention what a cobb job the C4's were. There are many problems that have cropped up with the C5 that have had resuted in production changes and service fixes. But my question is: why is it when Ford has a recall they are a piece of s***, yet when GM has recalls (I'm also thinking of the recently recalled GM truck family which affects over 2 million vehicles) the chevy guys feel that they build a superior product? I've owned many of both...niether company owns exclusive rights to screwups the Explorer rollover fiasco is one that comes to mind, yet I knew by acquaintance a person that was killed in a rollover of a Cadillac Escalade from tire failure...Go figure.
My personal experience is that GM, Daimler Chrysler, and Ford have made great strides in the quality of their products. I own one of the first 04 F150 FX4 crewcabs to come off the assembly lines and it has been a fantastic trouble free, quiet vehicle for 30,000 miles. I traded a GMC Suburban in for it that was trouble free as well except the fact that the muffler came apart internally at 15K miles. I own both a 98 Z/28 with mods (recently sold to look for a nice hardtop C5 Corvette) and a 96 Saleen S-281 with a Vortech and other mods so as you can see I'm not real brand specific (although I do support US based companies).
I think anyone who looks at this as a Ford versus Chevrolet battle is missing the point of the whole picture. All of this performance has come from competition, one company striving to build a better, faster car than the other has produced, and the other doing the same. This has given us performance cars that would have been unthinkable 15 years ago. I think people should appreciate the two cars for what they are, the GT an exclusive high performance dream machine, and the Z06 as a cost effective alternative that just happens to be a dream machine in it's own right.

Lt1FBoDy209

We all know they are both incredible cars and all but the real thing you need to consider: You may be able to have a 200+ mph race car but for the same price you can by a Z06 for each yourself, your wife, and your dog(kid? haha). Personally I feel that if ur gunna drop almost 200 grand on a car just get a ferrari, not a ford.

Speedpup

Car is 145 +- and I think it is a bargin for what it is and the quantitiy it is produced in. I'd rather have my American car than anything else anyway. I can spank the Ferrari Challenge cars with with little 346 CI Chevy. I hope to meet some faster ones Friday at Pocono. Ford GT is and was a beautiful car. When I had Aurora track cars as a kid all my cars were GT40. I agree with Chucknga 100% There is room for a V-10 in the GT which may be introduced later. I also think Ford had the V10 developed but may have cancelled it for the trucks. Little more boost and it would fly.

WS-Sick

A lot of people talk about production numbers....I could car less as long as I go fast. The average person who isn't a car enthusiasts will like the GT better, more than likely, because it's rare. I ,on the other hand, look at cars in terms of performance. The GT definitely has that covered and so does the Z06..so then I look at the potential of each car...well I'm sure a few bolt-ons and a pulley swap later the GT will be making awesome power. The Z06 on the other hand will need aftermarket FI or a radical H/C package to stay close. The bigger engine of the Z could be a selling point to me especially if I planned on throwing on a turbo anyways. A few changes and a turbo cold make insane amounts of power....well anyways...like I said, presitge can kiss my butt...I want power and performance. Both cars can deliver it so I guess it would boil down to what I want to spend.

chucknga

Yeah, but in 10 years you will have pissed away $100K in depreciation on Corvettes where with the GT you'll make money, because after 2007 there will be no more.
And who ever thought we'd be seeing a $70K chevrolet? Jesus, even that is a ton of money for a car. When is Chevrolet going to give us a new Camaro with the LS7, and sell it for $35k...There's a pipe dream!

YlwGTO4m3

Nice story, but on this forum I think people are more concerned about performance. If my 22k gto with some mods can waste that gt40 in a 1/4 mile, then i will never look twice at one. If not then I will give it a nod. I could care less about history, or what other people think about my car. If it out performs everybody else's car, then i'm a happy driver no matter what i'm behind the wheel of. new Z06 = pure sex IMO

chucknga

So what exactly does your modded GTO run? 10's?

zamboxl

iTrader: (1)

ok for all you ford loving **** read the article the guy posted did u noticed the gt's stoping distance 111 ft, and lets not forget that the now z06 pulls over 1 latteral g's thats more than the 911, carrera only the gt3 and gt2do more than that. With the new zo6 being more advance than the now c06 we can only imagine what it will do. so for all u saying the z06 won't hang and go hang out at a ford site. we all love contructive critism here and we have open minds but not to stupidity like that guy saying o it's not fords fault they bougth crapy parts, that's the stupedest thing i ever heard. Quick Quick someone pls sell him a faulty set of heads, that way if he blames u and wants his money back just go ahead and blame it on ur suplier and tell him to **** off. o and lastly lets not forget this is ls1tech.com not ilovefordcrap.com ok. enough said

WhiteTXMach

I am gonna go ahead and take a stab at this one........................

english is not your first language is it?

zamboxl

iTrader: (1)

lol sorry iam at work and proof reading is a luxury i don't have sometimes specially with my boss coming around ones in a while and all. but pls lets look beond my poorly typed english and all that for i am a poor little assian boy that grew up in the rice patties of south east asia, and snuck into this country in the carry on of a rich american tourist, like i said iam very small.

mulletwearingtadrive

iTrader: (10)

145 my *** my best friend's dad is a partner in the biggest dealership chain in Colorado, a ****** VIP with top priority and him and two of the partners couldnt even get one for less than 200k.

WS-Sick

LOL I agree, but who ever thought that we'd see a $200K ford?

chucknga

I guess we saw it sooner than a $70K chevy, huh? And people are more than willing to pay it because they know it's an investment. Think of that when chevy spits out 30,000 Z06's in the next few years and you can buy one for $35,000 in what...3 years? Lets see if it has the same teething problems the C5 and Camaro had with the LS1. tap tap tap

chucknga

Kinda like the LS1 piston slap recall? Oh wait, that was just a design issue from the General. I'm telling your narrow minded self that that statement about a recall is the stupidest thing I've seen in a forum in a while. All manufacturers have them....Look at a 2 million vehicle recall happening right now at your friendly Chevrolet/GMC dealer as we speak....are all GM trucks crap because of it? Absolutley not! Your brilliant man, I see you think before you type.

PewterWSSicc

Hmm, i am curious how you figure after three years a new ZO6 will get down to $35k and how there is an investment at all in any car. These cars will drop in value before they will go up. Yes eventually they will go up in value. But you will never make your money back, unless you wait until they hit rock bottom and buy a used one. And you can hardly find an 02 ZO6 for $35,000, so what makes you think a $70k one will drop that low in three years.

WS-Sick

Why so hostile? You're right, people have paid that much, there's one running around in one of my local neighborhoods. Some people will pay for anything, they'd do the same if a GM supercar cost $200K. Anyways, I don't buy a car as an investment. If I did, my car would remain STOCK. I could care less how much the GT will cost because I'd never pay that much for a Ford badge. I wouldn't pay that much for a GM either. The bottom line is we will see how the cars compare to each other when they are compared in mags and on the road.

chucknga

ok...How about an 02 with 26K miles for $32,500, just do a search on autotrader there is some there. Now I know there are some people asking more, but realistically $35K is about max on an 02. Ok, I exaggerated a little bit $45-50K seems more honest, but only if chevrolet don't turn up the wick on the engine in a couple of years and make the 07 less desireable like they did to the 01 Z06 by bumping the power on the 02's. You can buy 01's for under $30K Which is kinda what I'm looking for.....but I might have to stretch a bit and get an 02 so I ain't stuck with a measly 385 hp. LOL

Speedpup

What does Ford charge?

Speedpup

performance = handling.

zamboxl

iTrader: (1)

ok now about thinking before i type you obiosly dont read post before u type either. What did i say what did i SAY i din't bad mouth your great ford gt did i man read would u all i did was talk about the zo6 hype and how good the car is and all that if you don't feel that way go to another site after all this is LS1TECH.COM damn how many f$$$$ times do i have to say that, damn bi!#h. Also about ford all i did say was that it was their fault they bought crappy parts and critisie the guy that said, it wasn't fords fault. I never said the gt was junk or anything like that all i said was that the z06 would hang with those cars but u so busy deffending ford and the gt you missed that point dams man either take some reading comprehension classes or go to ford.com.
Ps: i already been made fun of my typing skills and or vocabulary so when you answer please aboid repost, made and intellignet argument to insult me with other wise you'll just make yourslef look stuped ok well more stuped that is. ok with that said thast it aim done with this thread those of you that like the z06 keep fighting the good fight, the rest well nothing but love for ya o and by the way i do think the gt is not a bad car, just overpriced.